Best of the Underdog Vaporizer thread

[AdmiralAlpacha]

How efficient is your Dog relative to smoking? and relative to other vapes you have used?
(how many hits, how 'medicated' etc)

I can't compare it to smoking very well, as I don't smoke. But my underdog is the most efficient vape I've used or owned.

The level of medication is going to depend on your tolerance, When I first got my dog one good hit would set me straight, I'm known to chain vape stems now-a-days.

Log vapes are great at getting you as medicated as possible with the smallest amount of material ime.

How much cannabis do you load per bowl/stem?

.05-.15 (alone I like to do .05 or just enough to cover the screen to keep the flavor fresh, but with friends I pack it a bit fatter to avoid refilling every 10 seconds.

Which stems have you used/like best and what do you use them for?

I use the glass on glass stems for everything personally, I normally run it through a bubbler in which it is perfect, when I wan't dry hits I usually just attach a 14mm female mouthpiece to the gong stem.

I also like the simple glass stems however, and hear great things about the nylon. They are all pretty solid options.

For someone living in a dorm what stem would you suggest? (For minimal smell/Exposure of cannabis to air etc)

I used simple glass stems the entire time I was in a dorm, it worked well for me. I don't think any of them are really going to be better than another though. Keep your hit size small, window open, and popcorn in the microwave for best results in dorms.

How often, if ever, do you combust?

My dog runs pretty hot with the stock power supply, and I still don't think I have ever combusted.

I wasn't able to answer all of them, but hopefully this helps.

 

[underdog]

...Some questions for all the owners out there:

Have you noticed any correlation between Wood hardness and Temperature?

Which stems have you used/like best and what do you use them for?

For someone living in a dorm what stem would you suggest? (For minimal smell/Exposure of cannabis to air etc)

How often, if ever, do you combust?

I think some or most of these have already been answered but I'll chime in anyways..

1) As a very general rule the harder/denser woods will tend to run a tad cooler than softer/less dense woods. The difference is pretty small and many people wouldn't notice (though some do), it can be compensated for by using the VVPS to adjust temps to what works best for you on a session by session basis. The more dense woods make up for the slightly lower temps by having a slightly longer lifespan, again generally speaking.

2) My favorite stem is the Nylon Stem, direct draw with no water. I like this because I can use them for 1-hit bowls for max flavor and I like the affects of virgin material better. I like to load up however many stems I think I'll want and then just go through them, one hit each, once and done.

3) I think I've accidentally combusted 2-3 times in the past year, each time was a result of using the VVPS a little too aggressively. Barring something like that you should rarely (or never) combust.

 

[underdogette]

Hey UDs! We've discontinued the WonGs and wooden stems. The last of the stock has been put on the website, so if you've been thinking of getting one, please grab it now!

 

[underdogette]

Oh! You UDs are so sweet! Here's a sneak peek and @Magic9 they don't fit the CRZ right now... but Dave's working on a solution, so send him a message in a couple of days.

New 14mm GonG with adjustable screen:

New Direct Draw stem with adjustable screen:

 

[underdog]

For the most part I plan on just having them in full length size which is 4.75" long.

The above being said we can cut them down if someone really wants us to, I did a few at 2.75" long for a friend a few days ago for example. I'll probably only do that as a 'secret menu' kind of option and charge an extra buck or two per stem.

The screen is held in place by friction of the screen against the glass walls and it can be placed anywhere in the stem. The amount of friction is just right to keep it firmly in place during normal usage but still be easy to move up or down with some intentional force.

 

[underdogette]

@underdog when do these go live on the site? Will those screens work in the current gong to move the bowl up? I was just on the site and saw you have a stem caddy ... don't know if this is new or I just haven't seen it. Anyway there's no pic can we get a pic please I was just thinking how nice it would be to have something that holds all my stems.

Hey MHL, as long as you've got enough length in the end of your GonG, the screen will fit diameter-wise. The screens are about 1/4" tall, so you'll want about 3/4" or so of room between the end of the GonG and the bulge in the glass.

Sorry about the stem caddy picture - I'm not sure what happened! The picture is now back up on the product page.

I'll be putting the new stems and screens up tonight.

 

[SD_haze]

So far I'm digging the new stems!

First Impressions:
*The force holding the screen is definitely sufficient.
*I'm not able to move it by picking at the screen to remove particulates.

*The length of the stem for direct-draw is perfect for cooling the vapor down just enough

*I used the 4.75" GonG stem with a small 12" tube and it didn't feel that awkward, despite the length.
*I probably wouldn't mind paying a lil extra to cut them down if I had a really tiny piece though.


I had the screen fairly far back for this video.
So definitely could move it closer for a thicker vapor.

(This was also the first time I used one of the new stems)

 

[underdog]

Hi guys, hard at work here on new Dogs for an upcoming refresh and also ones for our upcoming holiday special.. I know I mentioned it a week or so ago but I've been so busy I haven't finalized the details yet.

Also trying to get caught up on answering questions that some of you have sent in. If you've asked a question and haven't gotten answer answer yet you might want to remind me in case it got overlooked.

Someone had asked me recently about the cartridges we're using in custom pieces (standard ones still use the resistors, for now). The cartridges we're using are stainless steel ones, custom made for us right here in the USA (Great Lakes region) and are low voltage (12v). Using these means there is nothing but stainless steel used in the cores air path, no tinned copper wires, no solder, no glass insulators.

Here's a cartridge sitting next to a resistor for comparison:

So far I've been really happy using these, been putting them in some custom pieces for a while and in my own personal testing pieces for longer. These make a great even heat and are much more durable and resilient than the resistors. The only down side is the custom nature which means I can't just buy them off the shelf so they take a while to get from ordering to delivery and of course they cost 10x what the resistors cost.

 

[SD_haze]

I have an update on the new glass stems.

After more thorough use, I have some additional thoughts.

At first, I was a little thrown off by the new screen. I too though it was weird having a metal "cup" instead of a flat screen & glass wall.
Well, it turns out I prefer this "cup" screen!

-I find it easier to dislodge a vaped herb bowl for stirring with the metal screen surrounding the herb, compared with the glass wall. The packed bowl just seems to pop around very effortlessly.
-It's perfect for dosing! It serves as a good indicator of how big a bowl you want to max out at. I fill the cup, but don't overfill it. With around that size of a load, I get the perfect balance of a rich hit with even heating.
-I definitely can feel a little quality difference in the glass itself. It's real solid & simply effective.
-I find myself reaching for the direct-draw glass stem when I have hundreds of dollars of glass bongs to choose from & a GonG stem. Of course the GonG stem is just as good for direct-draw ;-)

 

[diff`lx]

Alright, so I bought one of these bad boys back in August and said I'd write a full review but never did. The reason it's been so long is largely because I just can't stop playing with my new pup.


From the first time I used my UD, it immediately became my daily driver. I switched from combustion and haven't looked back. The taste is better, my lungs have thanked me several times over, and it's probably saved me a ton of money. Anytime I'm out with friends and resort to smoking, I find myself longing for my UD.

There are a few major strengths of the UD that make it worth the price. First off, this thing is so efficient I was amazed. I thought that I would wind up using more than I did smoking -- way off. I can put nearly half as much product in this thing as I would if I were smoking it, while feeling just as lifted. If you're daily like me, this in itself will probably save you money and pay for itself in the long run.

As far as using this thing.. it's really easy. Especially if you use the standard wall wart. I did get a VVPS, but I believe it's going bad already. That being said, I got mine expecting this and will probably buy a nicer third-party VVPS for long-term use eventually. In the meantime, I found an old 12V wall wart that I've been using with great success. Here's a quick list of the advantages of the wall wart vs the VPPS.

Wall wart: Set it and forget it -- no fiddling with controls, no learning curve, can get at least a few smallish hits out of each 'bowl,' less wires.

VPPS: Small learning curve, can get bigger or smaller rips depending on preference, can use with the aromatherapy cup.


Moving on.. Convenience, this thing is so convenient that I find it hard to keep myself from playing with my pup at times! From a cold start-up, she takes about 30 minutes to get warmed up. This may inconvenience some, but I use mine strictly for home use. It sits on my desk 24/7 always ready to go, at worst I have to wait 5-10 mins if I was using it for aromatherapy before. It's almost too convenient.

As far as all the different stems, they each have their own little niche in my rotation. I find that the nylon stem is great for small bowls, the simple glass stem for medium bowls, and the silicon tube (my fav) works well with larger bowls. However that's only direct draw. I recently got a couple GonG's as well as a brand new water pipe. I believe they gave me one of the older style stems and one of the new ones.

With the older style stem I have a really hard time getting a decent hit. I will have to play with it more to figure out the issue there. But the new, longer stem.... it works amazing. I have this beautiful new pipe to run it through and the first time I used it, I didn't even think it was working until I exhaled and saw all the vapor. It hits so smooth that I can't even feel it going down.

Anyway I can go on and on about how much I love the UD. The bottom line is that you should get one if you're on the fence about it... and even if you're way on the other side of the fence. The UD is amazing.

To finish this 'review' I'd just like to say that UD and UDette are incredibly nice and easy people to work with. Great customer communication, fantastic shipping... they really understand and I get at least one or two goodies with each order, which I really appreciate. Can't say enough nice things about them.


Here's my current set-up (I'm thinking about running a tube between my UD and the GonG):

 

[underdog]

What's the rough size difference between the thick twig and the full-size? Also, when are you taking off walnut on sunday? (i neeeeds it!)

Gonna grab a second pup as a gift for my buddy. He tried mine and apparently 'can't go back to combusting now'.

Oops, I though we'd taken away the size option last Sunday and were just doing them all as thick twigs now but I guess it never got changed. The terms are all super subjective of course but I generally view sizes like such:

Fully Size = Soda can size or larger
Thick Twig = (small) Red Bull can to soda can size
Twig = (small) Red Bull can size or smaller

Scientific I know..

So now I'm basically making them in the Thick Twig size range based on what looks best for each given piece of wood, Underdogette will have to change that on the site when she has a chance.

The wood type and other Holiday Vape changes (price increase) will take place late Sunday night, probably between, oh, 11pm and midnight Pacific Time.

 

[underdog]

^What is that frankenstein creation?! SS tip + Gong? Awesome.


Edit: The extension cords can be stacked with the lab style vvps cord and vvps right? Or would that mess with the accuracy of the vvps? I assume it'd require an adjustment on what voltage is right for what but that's just me guessing lol.

Yeah, the 14mm GonG Stems and the new Direct Draw glass stems will both take a SS tip should the user want to install one.

The extensions are just a cord with a male 2.1mm at one end and a female 2.1mm at the other end. So yes they can be used and stacked with VVPS cords (lab or tattoo style) or any other power supply cord with a 2.1mm tip. Each cord will result in a small voltage drop when it's added to the circuit (how much depends on the cord length) which is why they can be used to lower the temp a bit in hot Dogs.

 

[SD_haze]

I've made videos of the Underdog vaporizer,
with herbs, kief, and bubble hash.

BUT, I realized I haven't made a dab video with the Underdog.
I wanted to though. It works excellently with stable concentrates.


L.A. Confidential Shatter crumbs

Loaded on a small bed of weak herbs (in new GonG stem)

Milk for days!
@ 1:25 the tube gets so white it's almost blinding

I got about 4 more milkshots after the video ended.

 

[underdog]

Hey Priceman thanks for posting, I'll try and answer some of your questions and other people can chime in as well with their experiences.

> All cores using a 3/8" center tube

> How much you load is up to you and your personal usage needs, these days I like to use the Nylon Stems and load them 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the top and get one big, fresh heat out of each before dumping them.

> If using the Direct Draw or GonG stems (and yes, they're supposed to fit very loosely, no worries) I fill to the top of the screen or slightly more and will get 3-5 hits per stem with a gentle stirring between hits. Since the load is farther away from the heating element with the glass stems the temp is lower and you get more hits of less density but will eventually get the same (flying) results.

> The GonG Stems can be used dry just like the Direct Draw Stems if you like, some people actually prefer the taper shape on their lips and actually purchase them specifically to use dry.

Hope that's helpful, let me know if you have more questions.

@ CentiZen - heh I've done that more than once myself no worries.. got the mini-VVPS yesterday.. very nice it's my new favorite! I hope you go to full production soon!

@ MileHighLife - Oh ok, yeah I think that power supply would pair nicely with a VK or one of CentiZens awesome mini-VVPS. That being said if I was going to use it with a mini-VVPS type voltage converter I'd try and find an even cheaper fixed voltage battery pack since the converter will let you change it up or down to whatever you want.

Alright Dogs, lots of projects to work on around here.. always more work than time to do it around here. Talk to you all later.

 

[CentiZen]

Hey everybody, just got my new Twig yesterday. Used it and loved it, though I have a few questions for the experienced dog users.

1. How much do you load in the screen. Do you fill up more than the screen, or just to the rim of the screen?

I fill up my nylon stems up nearly to the brim, and fill about a centimeters worth of loose material in the glass stems

2. On average, about how many strong hits do you get per load.

1 - 2 hits for nylon, 3 - 5 from glass

3. I have a twig, and the GonG and Straight Glass both fit really loose on my Twig, I'm guessing thats normal? The size for the twigs are 3/8 right? I get a little nervous the stems will wobble right off sometimes. The nylon fits pretty well, not snug, but it doesn't wobble much.

This is normal. All of my log vapes do this

4. Do a lot of you use the GonG without glass? Or is made for a glass attachment and not dry hitting?

I do, actually. I just use one stem and use if for both glass and direct draw use.

I really liked using my dog, but I feel I wasted a lot of weed. When I used the nylon stem, the weed after one fat drag would be brown/black. But through the GonG, I would barely get any hits, or at least it seemed like it. Either way, after about 3 loads, I was flying, but I still think I wasted a lot of green when using the GonG.

Thanks everyone

Sounds to me like your dog is running a little cold. Nylon stems require a lot less heat to bake the load than the glass ones do. I use my underdog on a variable voltage power supply that lets me set the voltage it runs at. I run it at around 13.5 - 14v and get even browned herb from the glass stems.

 

[SirElton]

I just got a dog yesterday but know I'll be using it for a while. Would you guys recommend buying a VVPS now for the long run? Is it one of those things were every log user at some point buys?

I've been a UD guy for over a year and I've never had desire to get a VVPS. Honestly, it depends on your needs. From what I gather from your previous posts though, you just need to work on technique. Log vapes have a bit of a learning curve as far as stem loading and draw technique. The best advice I can give is to try everything you can think of. Load the stem as much and as little, pack it as tight and as loose as possible, draw quickly and slowly. Basically, everyone is different and there's no "wrong" way to use a UD. You just need to find what works for you and that only comes with experience through trial-and-error. I've combusted using a Dog and I've left a stem green. It just takes a bit of practice to get where you want to be. Keep vaping and I'm sure you'll be more than happy with the results.

Also, don't be shy to give those silicone stems a try. I've been using the silicone tube + screen and its always been great.

 

[underdog]

Happy Monday Dogs.. hope you all had a great weekend.

Getting tooled up and ready to pump out this weeks Pups and thought take a quick break to stop by and visit a bit.

So, I know I've asked this before recently but I'll do it again for those who missed out: What (if anything) would you all like to see from us this year? Can't promise that we'll follow your suggestions but we do indeed like hearing them and do look at them to see if they're something we can do so please, as usual, let us know what we can do for you.

Also it's come to my attention that there is some confusion going around about what products we offer, etc so I'll see if I can't clear those up real quick.

Stems - All of our default stem options are, and have been, 100% silicone free for a while now (since mid last year) when we introduced our Nylon Stems (SS tipped) and then the silicone free glass Direct Draw Stems and 14mm GonG Stems. We do still offer some legacy silicone based stems but not as standard kit options anymore.

• The Nylon Stems are our take on Rick's (from AromaZap) classic stems.

• The glass stems (Direct Draw and 14mm GonG) are an in-house development in response to your feedback from last year requesting a replacement to our discontinued line WPB stems. These stems feature our Formed Screens which started making in-house last year and allow for a completely adjustable and variable bowl size.

 

[underdog]

After being unable to consume for the past eight months (and the next four months) due to drug tests, I can't wait to purchase an Underdog!
I'm thinking of buying one now and using it for aromatherapy until I am able to use it worry free

My questions are how strong would the smell of the lemon and orange essential oils be in a room that's about 10' x 12'? How often would I have to replace the copper cups? And I believe I already know the answer to this, but there will be no residual tastes of the essential oils when I start using the unit for herb, correct?

Thank you in advance for the replies

The lemon, orange (and other citrus) oils have a fairly subdued smell so it would probably be detectable but not overpowering. The copper cups will last 'forever', I rarely even clean mine but have a dedicated one for each oil I might use. As someone else noted you can mix the oil with beeswax to make the oil last longer at the expense of a slightly less intense odor. Also as noted unless you spilled some of the contents of a aromacup down into the Dog there won't be any odor lingering on the vape.

The only thing I would really add is that I personally would think twice about using my Dog just for aromatherapy as all those hours of aroma use are going to be subtracted from the Dogs lifespan.

@ Rude Boy - glad you're enjoying the Pup man..

 

[underdog]

Just a quick update from the shop:

A few of you out there have been asking a picture of what a worn out Purple Days looks like, I think specifically when they're beyond repair (within reason) and I just came across one so figured I'd oblige. This one, IIRC, is Cherry and was run 2-3 years 24/7 on the standard PD wall-wart. Obviously doesn't have 3 halves - just a little Photoshop so you can see different angles.

 

[RUDE BOY]

@Sleepin in CA

Another thing ... less bud = more milk a lot of the time.

This is where I went wrong at first hitting it dry, after trying a few hits with a stuffed stem and getting whispsy vapor, I dumped out 2/3 of it and got lug busting hits.

 

[underdog]

Hey Dave, when you get a chance, would you care to explain the 20 ohm resistors on your site "for experimenting.."? What kind of experimenting?

Sure, I'm always getting emails from people who want to repair an old Log Vape and are looking for advice and/or parts. In the past I've pointed them to vendors where they can buy parts and a lot of them have responded asking if I can't just sell them what they need.. so I'm now trying to oblige.

To that end I put the classic Log Vape 20ohm resistors up on the site, with or without extended leads. I also put up short lengths of solder, power plugs, leather swatches and the other little do-dads one might need for such work.

We also get an occasional email from people who want the parts to try and build their own vape or who are trying to convert 120v devices to 12v devices and they can use these parts as well.

On the subject of this kind of stuff - a couple years ago I was doing a lot of PD repairs for people until it got to the point that it was taking up too much of my time and the condition of the aging PDs was frequently dropping to unrepairable levels so I stopped. People have continued to ask me and until recently I was turning them away.

Now we've been allowing people to send in an old PD (or other similar Log) and we are completely rebuilding them. That's taking it all apart, cleaning up the core, making a new wooden body in a similar size/shape to the original and reinstalling the core for them.

I've also been modifying some PD cores for people and putting them in new bodies. The modified cores are taken apart, polished to remove all the accumulated grime/gunk (and the damn black oxide from the parts Tom used) then the outer sleeve is cut down to more closely match the length of the internal core. Then everything is reassembled, the core outer sleeve welded in place, the cross bar welded in place, a bottom cover made and welded in place and a debris screen inserted in the center tube. The end result is a more robust, more enclosed, screened hybrid PD core.

I've been doing the above and installing them in new bodies for people or just returning the core to them so they can build the vape of their choice around it.

Here's a picture of a hybrid PD core for anyone interested in seeing how they come out. Sorry I don't have a non-modified one handy for comparison.

Whew, didn't mean to type that much.. dang it Lampshade why'd you get me started lol.

Alright lunch break is over, back to work for this Dog.

 

[Lampshade]

I've decided I'm going to spend a good 2 months or so with my coco pup before I post a lengthy review, so for now I'll give a quick rundown of my first week with my pup as my sole driver.

This is my first and only vaporizer, so I can't say if it's better or worse than others, but I can say it has easily replaced a lighter! The Vaping experience has been very refreshing and relieving as I was never fond of smoke. The taste of vapor is...on a new level and tastes very similar to hash, a pure oily freshness. I'm pretty sure vapor hits are stronger than smoke hits, too. And the bong water stays extremely clean! It actually takes on a nice hash/vapor smell (after many stem loads) that is somewhat appetizing...I may try drinking it! The hits are very smooth, potent, and tasty. Vaping is hands down better than smoking in my book.

Now to talk about my vape. It's really pretty (sorry I don't have pics, you can check the UD website for glamor shots.) I contacted Dave on this site and we worked out a plan for a custom pup. It's made of my favorite wood, cocobolo, which is a very heavy and beautiful wood from Mexico and Central America. My pup definitely has some heft! And because the wood is so dense and oily, it doesn't need to be finished, so I get to feel the bare heated wood in my hands. Feels nice, man . I also like to hold the heating port to my nose and gently exhale and feel the warm air come back at me. I pretend it's dog breath . I got the custom stainless heater. I can't tell it's in there, but I like the peace of mind . I want my pup to last as long as possible with as little issues as possible.

For the stems: I got two of each of the GonG, nylon, and silicone stems so I could see what I liked best. I think the GonGs are my favorite, but then I have a nylon stem in my hand as I'm typing this. I like the seal of the silicone, but it does feel cheap and it smells funky. I may want to get some of the simple glass stems in the future, but will definitely be getting more GonGs.

I also got a 30' extension cord and I can recommend it to everyone. I can freely roam anywhere in my (small) apartment without unplugging. It didn't even seem to cool my pup down, but I haven't fully investigated into that.

The only thing I'm bummed about so far is that I heard these log vapes were supposed to conserve your stash. My ABV pile is, well, already a mountain. I know I'm definitely at least partially to blame because I've been having so much fun with it, but it still hasn't shocked me with its ability to conserve like I've heard other people report. This could very well be due to the user, though! I'm interested in what I'll have to say in a couple of months. Regardless, it's certainly not worse than smoking.

Here's where I'm going to talk about the customer service. Dave is a really great guy! I mean he's a real person/dog! He really seems to care about providing vaporization more than he does about making profits and making his business bigger. He talks to you like we're all friends and he's the friend that hooks us all up with vaporizers! It feels like the way things should be.

So to wrap this up, even though I'm sure I left a bunch out, I guess I'll say if you're combusting and you have the money for a pup, even if you don't think you're interested in vaping, you'd be very wise to get one. I plan to get a few more for backups and travel, etc.

 

[underdog]

@underdog Hi, how long is the wait for new orders?

Looks like placetime beat me to it.. pieces listed as 'available' are finished and ready to go. I'd say that 95%+ of orders that come in ship out the next business day. So.. yeah.. pretty quick.

Most custom vape orders ship in about a week and a half.

@underdog - hi there. I checked in with you about a year ago regarding international orders. Any chance of you accommodating international orders anytime soon? I would love to get a pup.

Hi there Gweilo - we're always reevaluating things but for now it's still a 'no' on international orders unfortunately, sorry.

Can we get hollow pups for some doggy bags? I'm not sure how the cores looks. My classic core probably isn't a great reference.

Lol you lost me there man.. what is it you want exactly?

 

[underdog]

Yeah, it's tough to find a one-size-fits-all power supply especially given the variety of stems. Nylon stems run the hottest since they are placed so close to the heating element whereas the glass ones hold the material being vaped farther away. The power supply is sized to provide adequate heat to the glass and is a little too powerful for the Nylon stems with some Dogs.

There a lots of little tips and tricks you can learn to help use the Nylon stems with the stock power supply though. Adding a DC extension cord (see website) is the easiest way to drop the temp a bit. Unplugging the vape before hitting or blowing down into the top for a few seconds are other ways of dropping the temp a bit as well.

A VVPS is the best real solution but we're currently not offering one and many people find it overwhelming to pick one up on their own. It sure is nice though to be able to dial in your desired temp with the turn of a knob.

@ payton - Ah, I think I see what you're saying. Yeah I've made a few pieces (prototypes really) that work like that for filling bags and whatnot but never refined a design to where I was really happy with it. Really I think it's just not a usage ideally suited for a Log style vape.


@ Biw - I might have a used and slightly battered one laying around here that I could give you.. if you're interested send me an email/PM.

 

[SirElton]

Haven't posted in a while and just wanted to share with everybody my Dog and stems. Apologies for the poor photoshopping, but it was done to save myself from the embarrassment of a cluttered desk and done quickly. Anyway, my Dog is a twig made from maple, I believe. Dave can correct me if I'm wrong. It was actually a replacement for a previous fallen (birthday special) dog and has the 5/8" core, an improvement on the previous dog's 3/8" core. Another improvement was the twig design; this is much more easily handled than the full sized birthday dog.

Left to right the stems are: silicone, custom glass, wood/glass/silicone hybrid prototype, direct draw glass, ground glass. Kind of an evolution if you will. For quite some time I used the silicone and custom glass interchangeably, depending on my mood. I now mainly use the silicone in tandem with a water piece because it fits. The glass I still use on occasion, but not much anymore. Not because it isn't awesome because it is. I mean look at that wicked yellow and blue. I just got newer toys that turned my attention. Dave was cool enough to include the prototype stem in an order a long time ago, but its easy to see why they were a short-lived idea. I believe it is basically the simple glass stem with a wood sleeve instead of the tube thing. I don't use it much because the glass is in direct pathway of the airflow which heats up the glass and the wood sleeve insulates the glass disallowing any dissipation of heat. Basically, the mouth end gets too hot for comfort. Certainly interesting and useable, just not my thing. I received the two stems on the right in a recent shipment from Underdog and have really been enjoying them. The GoG is too small for my water piece (hence why I use the silicone), but it is still my go-to stem. The direct draw is great and essentially the same thing, but I prefer the feel of the tapered glass on my lips and its slightly longer so the end is a wee bit cooler.

Anyway, there you have it. Underdog is the best. Paws down.

EDIT: One other thing. I also enjoy the direct draw glass stems because of their looseness around the heating element. I do appreciate the silicone as the dog can tip over without much worry for the stem either damaging or even coming off the dog. However, the direct glass fits loosely so that they can be rotated while vaping to allow for an even draw. One of the minor complaints was the uneven cook of the silicone stems (of course easily remedied by rotating the stems in between draws), so I'm happy for the option.